The 24th-ranked Auburn softball team loaded up their talents and went international last week as the Tigers competed in the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Initially slated to play four games, the Tigers — for the second week in a row — saw their weekend shortened as poor field conditions nixed their scheduled date with No. 7 Clemson.

Fortunately, Auburn was still able to square off against Wichita State Wednesday, followed by a doubleheader against UC-Davis and No. 16 Utah Thursday and managed to squeak out wins in all three games, improving the Tigers to 4-1-1 on the season.

Final scores from the weekend (runs/hits/errors):

• vs. Wichita State — 8-6, Auburn (8/5/1)
• vs. UC-Davis — 6-3, Auburn (6/8/0)
• vs. No. 16 Utah — 1-0, Auburn (1/8/1)

Here are takeaways from Auburn’s stay in Mexico.

Maryland transfer Amelia Lech proving to be as advertised

In 2023, Bri Ellis and Lindsey Garcia led Auburn’s home run-hitting efforts as they combined for 24 of Auburn’s 64 home runs last spring. Now, Ellis and Garcia are both found on different rosters as Ellis transferred to Arkansas and Garcia transferred to Clemson.

All that said, Auburn head coach Mickey Dean knew he would need to find a way to replace that production this season. So he went into the transfer portal and plucked out Maryland’s Amelia Lech, who led the Terrapins with 16 home runs and 47 RBIs during her sophomore campaign in 2023.

Lech was quick to remind Dean she could do what she was brought to Auburn to do as she hit a pair of home runs in Auburn’s pair of games against Virginia Tech on Feb. 9 and 10.

And over the weekend in Puerto Vallarta, Lech’s offensive tear continued as she issued another pair of home runs — though this time, they both came in a single game as she went 2-for-3 from the plate with two home runs and six RBIs during Auburn’s 6-3 win over UC-Davis Thursday.

At the time of her second home run of the day, Lech had logged four hits all season and they all left the yard.

Through Auburn’s first six games, Lech, who has hit from the five- and six-holes, is tied with Anna Wohlers as Auburn’s best hitter in terms of batting average — both with an average of .357. But Lech stands alone as the Tigers’ leading RBI hitter as she’s tallied nine early.

Auburn ace Maddie Penta has picked up where she left off

Dean and the Tigers know returning last season’s SEC Pitcher of the Year in Maddie Penta is a luxury. And so far, Auburn has exploited that luxury as its looked to Penta to start four of its six games this season.

Over the weekend, Penta got the nod to start against Wichita State on Wednesday and then again against Utah on Thursday.

Against the Shockers on Wednesday, Penta opened her day with a five-inning effort before being relieved by Annabelle Widra. During Penta’s opening five innings of work, she allowed just one run off three hits and tallied eight strikeouts — including the 700th of her career, becoming just the fourth Auburn pitcher to reach the milestone.

As the game got away from the Tigers late, Penta re-entered against the Shockers and added another 1.1 innings of work and added another pair of strikeouts to bring her game total to 10.

The next day, Auburn’s senior ace once again graced the circle as Auburn survived a 1-0 defensive rock fight against the Utah Utes.

Penta went the full distance against Utah, allowing six hits, no runs and notching five strikeouts in the win.

Through Auburn’s first six games of the season, Penta is maintaining an ERA of 1.12 and ranks third in the SEC with 31 strikeouts early in the year.

Tigers see the trend of giving up the lead continue

In Auburn’s season opener against Virginia Tech on Feb. 9, the Tigers and the Hokies played a game that needed extra innings to be decided as both teams went into the eighth frame tied with one run apiece.

However, come the eighth inning things quickly started to get away from Auburn as Virginia Tech’s offense exploded with a 7-run inning en route to a 8-1 win over the Tigers.

And against Wichita State on Wednesday, history nearly repeated itself as Auburn gave up a five-run inning in the bottom of the seventh to erase the 6-1 lead the Tigers entered the frame with.

With a comfortable lead, Dean looked to sophomore pitcher Emma Rolfe to polish off the game. Instead, things quickly went south as Rolfe allowed two singles and hit a batter, loading the bases for Wichita State’s Bailey Urban, who capitalized with a one-out grand slam.

With Auburn’s lead quickly cut to one run, Dean turned back to Penta, who gave up one more, allowing the Shockers to tie the game and force extra innings.

Fortunately for the Tigers, Auburn was able to squeak out the win with a two-run inning in top of the eighth, followed by Penta retiring the Shockers in order.

Needless to say, as the season continues to unfold — especially into conference play as the SEC boasts nine teams inside the top-25 — Auburn will need to quickly squash its pattern of losing grip on the lead.